Many industrial process cleaning compositions have been based upon fluorinated and fluorinated/chlorinated solvents. As ecological concerns have risen in importance, the search for replacements for such cleaners has attained increased importance. Several requirements exist for replacement cleaners including: cleaning efficacy, non-corrosiveness to metal parts, ease of use, and safety. Safety concerns raise several different requirements, including nontoxicity and high flashpoint. To date, no replacement cleaner has attained these properties.
Terpene hydrocarbons have been used for some time in general purpose cleaners, and in some specific formulations for specific industrial cleaning purposes, such as cleaning printed circuit boards or removal of graffiti. Those prior cleaners have relatively low flashpoints, typically well below their boiling point. Thus, basic problems associated with providing an effective and safe industrial cleaner have not been considered or solved using terpene hydrocarbon based cleaning compositions.